Avengers: Damage Control is a new virtual reality adventure from Marvel Studios and ILMxLAB. It's set to be released exclusively for a limited time at The VOID and will feature the voice talents of Marvel Cinematic Universe actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Rudd, and James Spader.
That's right, Ultron is back, and it appears as if he's been in hiding and biding his time ever since the events of
Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the game, Shuri has recruited your team to test a powerful new prototype design combining Wakandan and Stark technologies. Now, we know Earth's Mightiest Heroes have assembled to take down this powerful android.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if this story will be canon.
There are a few tell tale signs in this new story trailer which make that clear and, sadly, if Marvel Studios is using Ultron in this capacity here, chances are there are no future big screen plans for him. That seems like a waste, but you never know, they could still surprise us.
For now, check out this new
Avengers: Damage Control trailer below:
Hit the "View List" button to check out the villains
we want to see take on the X-Men in the MCU!
Nimrod
Nimrod is an Omega Sentinel from a future (the "Days of Future Past" timeline, to be specific) where mutants and superheroes have either been killed or imprisoned. Nimrod has also made his presence felt in the present day, and has been reimagined with a very unique new personality in Jonathan Hickman's
Powers of X series.
Honestly, Marvel Studios should ditch all the time-travel malarkey as that's something they can delve into down the line. Instead, making Nimrod a being that has gained sentience and is determined to destroy mutantkind alongside its fellow Sentinels would be awesome. Plus, I'm sure Marvel Studios could somehow tie this into Ultron's emergence in 2015!
Cassandra Nova
Charles Xavier's twin sister seemingly died in the womb, but she actually remained dormant in her brother's body for years, before ultimately taking on her own form and laying waste to mutantkind (she killed billions on Genosha by unleashing a Sentinel on Magneto's nation). Every bit as powerful as Professor X, this would make the X-Men's first battle very personal.
What if the leader of the X-Men in the MCU isn't just Charles Xavier, but his sister as well? In a Mysterio-style plot twist, she could be revealed as a villain fairly early on as her hatred for her brother and mutants in general leads to her outing them to the world and ensuring that they're despised by humans. This character has a lot of potential and there are many directions Marvel could take.
Proteus
The son of Moira MacTaggert (who we recently learned is a mutant herself), Proteus has the ability to warp reality and is forced to hop from body to body because his immense powers quickly burn out those he inhabits. Whenever he faces the X-Men it's a big battle, and he's pushed the team to their limits on multiple occasions. The Ultimate version was actually Professor X's son!
What if the reason no one has heard of mutants is because Charles Xavier has used Proteus to hide them from the rest of the world? Him learning that he's been manipulated could set Proteus on the path to becoming a villain, and what better way to out the X-Men - and Charles' shadier side - than having him attack the world, thereby forcing the X-Men to go after him?
The Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants
Typically portrayed as a villainous team of mutants led by Magneto, the Brotherhood was initially formed to battle both the X-Men and to take the fight to humanity. If you're going to introduce mutants to the MCU and head down the "hated and feared" route, then there's really no better way to do that than by unleashing this evil group on the unsuspecting residents of this world.
The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has taken many forms over the years, but I think it's fair to say that leaving Mystique out of this iteration would probably be for the best, especially as that character has taken centre stage in so many movies now. There are plenty of other possibilities, though, and seeing a villainous team in the MCU is definitely something that feels long overdue.
Shi'ar Empire
The Shi'ar Empire has been a huge part of the X-Men's adventures over the years and are led by Empress Lilandra, a character who has actually been portrayed as love interest of sorts to Charles Xavier. The Imperial Guard is a formidable group and having the mutants protect the Earth from a cosmic threat could help immediately establish them as heroes and a force to be reckoned with.
Dark Phoenix didn't have the guts to take the X-Men into outer space, so if Marvel Studios really wants to do something different with the team, that's definitely an option for this reboot. Having them clash with the Imperial Guard would be fun, while this could also lead to the introduction of the Brood and a long overdue look into Cyclops' past by having the Starjammers appear.
The Hellfire Club
Matthew Vaughn did a decent enough job with The Hellfire Club in
X-Men: First Class, but didn't really delve into what makes the team so great. A new take on Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost would definitely be welcome, while the introduction of characters like Madelyne Pryor and Mastermind is something that could open the door to a long list of very exciting stories.
A group of mutants who use their influence to alter world events for their own gain, The Hellfire Club are interesting for a lot of reasons, and seeing the X-Men square off with them would be a lot of fun, especially as there's lot of drama to be had from showing the heroes torn between helping a world that fears and hates them or joining a group who use their powers to their advantage.
Mr. Sinister
19th Century scientist Nathaniel Essex had a great deal of interest in Social Darwinism, and is both an immortal and someone with a vested interest in genetics. That's led to him developing a very unhealthy interest in the Summers bloodline and he's cloned, created, and enhanced many a mutant over the years. Plus, we know Bryan Cranston is desperate to play him!
If Marvel Studios wants to introduce the X-Men with a bang, someone like Sinister is the way to do it, and his interest in Scott Summers could mean that Cyclops finally gets the screentime he deserves. This is a villain who could have a recurring presence in all future X-Men adventures and someone who obviously hasn't been soiled by Fox's misuse of X-Men bad guys over the years.
Apocalypse
Is it too soon for another take on En Sabah Nur? It was only three years ago that
X-Men: Apocalypse was released, but even more time will have passed when this reboot finally arrives, and there's no denying that there's a lot that could be done with this character that Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg failed to do due to their apparent lack of interest in the comic books he hails from.
A constant thorn in the side of the X-Men, Apocalypse even clashed with Thor once upon a time and his obsession with making sure the strong survive could be what leads to his appearance in the MCU, as mutants finally become known to the world. The villain should definitely be brought to life with CGI like Thanos, and Marvel could even gender-swap him if they really wanted to!
The Juggernaut
The Juggernaut was re-introduced to moviegoers in
Deadpool 2, and while we know Disney and Marvel Studios is mulling over how to balance his R-Rated adventures with PG-13 team-ups, there's really no reason why this unstoppable villain can't be softly rebooted for the MCU and turned into a threat so massive that the X-Men are forced to come together to stop him.
Thus far, we've not delved into the mystical side of his powers or his relationship with Charles Xavier (they're step-brothers), and that's material with a lot of cinematic potential. Even if Juggernaut is once again used as a secondary antagonist, Marvel Studios should definitely flesh him out and make him someone capable of taking on an entire team of heroes.
Magneto
At this point, you probably don't need us to tell you who Magneto is. The Master of Magnetism has taken centre stage in literally every
X-Men movie released by Fox (outside of the Wolverine movies, anyway) and returning to that well for this reboot might be a mistake - even if he's portrayed in a far more comic accurate manner, or simply as the truly powerful mutant he really is.
Iit would be nice to get a new take on Magneto, though, and a good place to start would be to make him the co-leader of the X-Men. His slow descent into villainy is something Marvel Studios could spend years building towards. Then again, these past few years have seen him portrayed in a heroic light in the comics, so maybe the reboot could follow suit.
Talking of reboots, continue reading below to see which
villains we want in the next Fantastic Four movie!
Mole Man
You might be wondering why we're kicking off this list with one of the Fantastic Four's "lamest" villains, but there's actually more to Harvey Rupert Elder than meets the eye. After being rejected by surface-dwellers for his hideous appearance, he went underground and discovered a hidden subterranean world where he found and started to rule over the monstrous Moloids.
A classic villain who appeared in the very first issue of
Fantastic Four, pitting the team against Mole Man makes perfect sense, and it would be awesome to see the heroes battle massive creatures who rise up from beneath the Earth. There's no denying that this is a character with a lot of potential and a modern reinvention could be exactly what this franchise needs.
Annihilus
Annihilus is one of the Marvel Universe's most deadly villains and controls the inhabitants of the Negative Zone with his powerful Cosmic Control Rod. After the Fantastic Four travelled to his home, they became instant enemies and have clashed numerous times over the years (Annihilus was also responsible for the Human Torch's apparent death during one such battle).
The previous
Fantastic Four movies really didn't take advantage of the Negative Zone, and seeing as we've already been introduced to the Quantum Realm, it wouldn't be overly difficult to tie the two locations together. Throw in the fact that that Annihilus later takes control of the universe threatening Annihilation Wave, and this movie could set the stage for him becoming the MCU's new big bad.
The Frightful Four
Why not pit a team of heroes against a team of villains? Many bad guys have been part of the Frightful Four over the years and Marvel Studios could take their pick when it comes to who they would want to include. The Wizard should be the leader, though, as he's been a constant throughout the team's history and his intelligence very nearly matches Reed Richards.
Trapster is also a must, while the likes of Thundra and Titania are definitely ready for their respective big screen debuts. Marvel could even reinvent some of the Fantastic Four's more obscure bad guys (Dragon Man, for example) for the team of villains, and while four antagonists might seem like a little much for a first outing, this group is definitely one that should be utilised in the MCU one day.
Doctor Doom
This is a tricky one. After all, Doctor Doom has had a prominent role in all three
Fantastic Four movies, and Marvel Studios might be reluctant to head back down that route despite how popular the villain is and how much potential a comic accurate version has on screen. If Victor Von Doom does return here, however, he absolutely should not gain his "powers" at the same time as the team.
Instead, he should have that shared history with Reed Richards when they were in college and become the ruler of Latveria in the interim. His powers need to be rooted in magic (there's precedent for that now we've met characters like Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch), and while Doom must be introduced in this franchise, he absolutely has the potential to be a foe to the whole MCU.
Galactus
Remember when Galactus was a cloud? Good times, eh? Well, Marvel Studios now has the chance to make that right, and just like Doctor Doom and Annihilus, this is a character who can first make his presence felt in
Fantastic Four before returning down the line to pose a greater threat to the entire MCU (so, yeah, that's three potential big bads all coming from this one franchise).
Honestly, an adaptation of Galactus' first appearance in the Fantastic Four comic book would be pretty much ideal, and we know that Kevin Feige is a big fan of both him the Silver Surfer as he offered Fox the chance to keep Daredevil in exchange for these two.
If nothing else, don't be surprised if the Surfer shows up in a post-credits scene to set the stage for a future Galactus appearance.
Molecule Man
He may have served as an ally to Marvel's First Family in recent years, but Molecule Man started off as a villain and he's someone who has nearly ended the team on more than one occasion. His power levels are off the charts and he has the ability to control all matter and energy, something which would tie in nicely to Marvel's potential plans to adapt the newer version of
Secret Wars.
Initially, it's easy to imagine fans being disappointed about Molecule Man taking centre stage in Fantastic Four, but similar to how Marvel Studios has reinvented a whole host of B and C list villains over the years, there's no reason why they couldn't take this unhinged powerhouse and make him an A-Lister. There are plenty of great comic book arcs to turn to for inspiration, as well.
Super-Skrull
The Skrulls arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain Marvel, but there was no sign of the Super-Skrull. That's because Fox previously held the rights to that character, but with the merger now complete, there's no reason why the monstrous alien can't unleash the full extent of his powers - most of which are based on the Fantastic Four's abilities - on the team in this reboot.
Now, he's probably not interesting enough to be much more than a secondary villain, but if the Kree/Skrull War is coming to the MCU, then laying the groundwork for that here by introducing some new, villainous "Super" Skrulls would be a lot of fun.
Of all the bad guys listed here, the Super-Skrull probably isn't a priority for Marvel Studios, but it would be nice to see him get the spotlight.
Blastaar
Annihilus is definitely a villain Marvel Studios should consider using in
Fantastic Four, but if they want to take a slow burn approach to exploring the Negative Zone, then kicking things off with Blastaar might be a smart move. One of Annihilus' many enemies, Blastaar has spent a long time competing for control of this dimension and that's led to him clashing with these heroes many times.
After we've spent so much time with a great alien bad guy like Thanos, Marvel Studios would have to do a lot to ensure that Blastaar doesn't come across as just another generic CGI villain and that might mean making some changes while bringing him from page to screen. With that in mind, it might actually be smarter to use him as a secondary baddie.
Namor The Sub-Mariner
There have been rumblings that Namor is going to make his presence felt in a Phase 4, but regardless of whether that's true or not, he would make for a great lead villain in this movie. He's jumped between his hero and villain status many times over the years and has often attacked the surface world (his affections for Sue Storm also led to him kidnapping her at one point).
Even if Marvel Studios decides not to go down the love triangle route, seeing the Fantastic Four enter the Marvel Universe's version of Atlantis would be really special and if they want to do something fresh and different with the franchise, it's hard to imagine a better way of achieving that than using this iconic comic book character as the lead villain in this planned reboot.
Hyperstorm
Here's where things get a little weird. Avengers: Endgame introduced the idea of time-travel, so why not make use of the future son of Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers? While neither of those mutants will make their presence felt in the MCU for a while, this insanely powerful character arriving in the present day from his post-apocalyptic future has a great deal of potential.
After all, it would allow Marvel Studios to tie the
Fantastic Four and
X-Men franchises together, while also teasing what's to become of the Earth if the Sentinels' mission to wipe out mutants is allowed to play out.
There's no denying that Hyperstorm's introduction would be tough to pull off, but providing it's handled carefully, this choice of villain could have some major ramifications.